5/1/08
SBF 2008
Festival proves to be another ‘best ever’ event
By Cathy Gilbert

JERRIOD GRIZZLE/Manning Times

Chamber President Louis Griffith presents a Ron McCollister hand carved paddle to Cindy Albert of South Carolina Federal Credit Union, the presenting sponsor of the 2008 SBF.

It is the biggest weekend of the year in Clarendon County, one that draws young and old alike to have some fun, dance in the streets, cheer a parade and eat that delicious “festival food” without too much guilt.

Now in its 29th year, this year’s Festival went off without a hitch, though a light shower Saturday afternoon did little more than cool off the more than 30,000 festival attendees.

“I could not be more pleased with how everything went,” said Chamber President Louis Griffith. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to event chairman Cleve Dowell and Chamber Executive Director Dawn Griffith.”

Early Friday evening, a presentation was made by Griffith to Cindy Albert of South Carolina Federal Credit Union for their role as a presenting sponsor for this year’s festival. A hand-carved Ron McCollister boat paddle was presented to Albert as a token of the Chamber’s gratitude.

Dowell said that the Friday attendance was “easily 10,000 people,” the largest the Friday opening had ever drawn.

“This event is made possible because of the dozens of volunteers who unselfishly give of their time to make this event seem easy,” said Dowell, now in his second year as event chairman. “In reality, the festival represents literally thousands of hours of planning, executing, checking and double checking to make sure both our residents and guests have a good time. It is because of our great volunteers that this was such a wonderful festival.”

Two new features and one revitalized event added to the roster of exciting activities that make the Striped Bass Festival one of the best and best-attended in the state.

New this year were carnival rides and they kept busy both Friday night and all day Saturday, giving kids and kids-at-heart a chance to ride the Ferris wheel, slide on the big slide or take a spin on the carousel and pretend, if only for a few minutes, that they were 12 again. Shrieks of delight could be heard across the courthouse square as those at the top of the Ferris wheel got a bird’s eye view of lovely downtown Manning.

Also new this year was the addition of a permanent entertainment venue in the form of the new gazebo stage located behind the Judiciary Building. That stage played host to our own “Elvis” (disguised sometimes as County Councilman Benton Blakely) and the O’Kaysions on Friday night and on Saturday, the David Floyd Band, who covered the musical spectrum from rock to country and kept toes tapping and feet shagging.

Revitalized this year was the Truck Pull, a joint project of the Manning and Summerton Rotary Clubs.

“I was really pleased with the turnout and everyone seemed to be having a really good time,” said Truck Pull Co-Chair Tad Graham. “I hope we can continue to make this an annual event.”

Saturday’s festivities wrapped up with the third annual Corn Hole Tournament, a nationally sanctioned sport that is like a complicated bean bag toss. Winners of the event were Brian Joyner and Cag Brunson.

Sunday ended with the traditional Goat Island Boat Club Poker Run. This year a $1,500 scholarship was presented to a Florence County student, Hunter Summersett. Summersett is the grandson of Carl and Carolyn Cagle of Summerton.

Sunday also included the “Sunday in the Park” concert, held this year at the new gazebo venue.

By early Sunday morning, all vestiges of the previous day’s festivities had been wiped away by the crack public works crew from the City of Manning. By Monday morning, the 2008 Striped Bass Festival was just a happy memory and some tired feet for all the volunteers.

Relive some of the great sights of this year’s extravaganza on page 13 and 14 of this week’s Manning Times.